Episode #1006: Encouraging clients to take responsibility for their own life and act on their goals with Glenn Waring, an executive coach, master coach, and CEO of EffectiveOrganization.com. In this episode, Glenn discusses topics relevant to today's developing coaching industry as well as the necessity to take responsibility for one's own life and decisions. To learn more about avoiding procrastination and learning amidst advancing technology, continue reading and listen to Episode #1006 of the Arete Coach Podcast.
About Glenn Waring
Glenn Waring is an executive coach, master coach and moderator of Chair Voice and CEO of EffectiveOrganization.com. Glenn operates from Columbus, Ohio, and today works with national and international business leaders, large and small, helping them grow. He has been in the executive coaching field for over 27 years and has ample experience in both the business executive world as well as the coaching world. After spending time in the corporate world, Glenn was introduced into the idea of executive coaching. This was the beginning of his thriving career and the declaration of his purpose of which he states is to, “help other people find purpose.”
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Key highlights
The Responsibility of Your Life Recognized
Timestamp 00:59
Glenn met with a president, who spent a majority of his time writing checks. While this task is normally nominated to other employees this president stated that he really enjoyed doing this because it gave him “more control.” Glenn challenged this idea by asking the president what tasks he was avoiding.
After a moment of contemplation, the president realized Glenn’s point stating, “It’s the responsibility for my life, right?” This is where Glenn seeks to take each of his coaching clients: to the point of realization and responsibility. It is at this point that Glenn encourages clients to reach their genuine goals and business aspirations.
Glenn’s Coaching Career
Timestamp 2:08
After experiencing the corporate world, Glenn was introduced to executive coaching by John Caple. Inspired by coworkers including Richard Liter, he took up Richard’s life purpose as his own: “to help other people find purpose.” At his peak coaching season, Glenn coached 37 clients. He remains in contact with some of these clients as they have become CEOs and have since made multi-million dollar deals.
As Glenn reaches his “eighth decade,” he has taken time to slow down but remains active in the executive coaching field. He still maintains a group for executives and marketing, and in his free time is writing a play to bring some of what he calls “joy” into the world.
A Life of Learning
Timestamp 05:18
After completing his education in Claremont, Southern California and achieving an MBA at Cornell University Glenn, he began his time in the corporate world with organizations such as Ford Motor Company. After a few years of corporate life, he was introduced to executive coaching and joined a group called Tech. When asked about recent valuable learnings he stated the importance of asking questions to his clients. His main question in coaching is to ask the client, “what is it you want?” and taking the time to truly answer this wholeheartedly. Glenn believes that while questions are important, follow-up questions are as well. Asking a client about how they are doing on their goals is essential to the upward momentum of his clientele.
The Price to be Paid
Timestamp 10:46
Like the president who enjoys signing checks, Glenn indicates that many executives aren’t fulfilling their true desires and are simply putting them off for things that they may slightly enjoy or feel need to be done. Glenn confronts this behavior by stating “You’re going to have to give up the familiar. It’s not going to become easy in many cases, and it may take a long time.” Glenn quotes his wife by stating that “it’s never about what it’s about.” It’s never about signing the checks; it’s about avoiding your true goal. Glenn seeks to reveal to clients what that true goal or desire is, find out what is stopping them, and confront it head on.
The Drive for Potential
Timestamp 12:20
What gives Glenn his drive and energy is his love for potential. “I fall in love with the potential I see in something,” Glenn states. Like a spectator to a theater play, Glenn enjoys watching people realize and reach their full potential.
Holding the Moment
Timestamp 14:07
Glenn states that his best day ever as an executive coach began with a client who threw him an unexpected curve ball. After this curveball, both Glenn and his client were able to share what Glenn calls a “sacred space” of executive coaching. “Sometimes I think my role is to be quiet…silence is important for a group…” states Glenn. By letting “silence do the heavy lifting” as stated by Severin, Glenn has been able to invoke deeper more meaningful responses from his clients. By stating deeper issues and addressing them in the moment, even if it is addressed with silence, groups are nourished to deeper conversation and realization.
Favorite Quotes
Timestamp 20:36
A quote written by Glenn that states, “I know what procrastination is, procrastination is suicide by a thousand cuts.” He uses this and other quotes in his practice carefully, not simply giving clients straightforward answers, but leading clients to their own revelation. “Wasting time is like wasting life,” states Glenn as he addresses the idea of procrastination. One of Glenn’s beliefs is that pain is a massive motivator in an individual’s goal achievements. Glenn secondly states that one of his other favorite quotes is that “you live the myth, or the myth lives you.” He uses this quote in his personal life along with a quote from his uncle “strength through rest” to remind him to live meaningfully and achieve his full potential.
A Coach’s Tool Bag
Timestamp 26:30
Glenn uses the Authority Matrix with many of his clients, as it has a tendency to create a greater sense of responsibility for action between employees. He also uses Wilfred Bion’s book, My Experience in Groups as well as Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. When asked why Glenn uses Frankl’s book, he states that he wants his clients to know how important a statement of purpose is. Glenn uses several books and resources in his coaching to support a client’s business and personal ambitions.
A Lesson Learned
Timestamp 31:07
Glenn states that he learned an important lesson in managing competing clients. In his discussion with Severin, he explains that while he maintained proper disclosure, problems between the clients could have still been avoided. Severin responds agreeing that sometimes you can come up with a “fire-walling between clients and discussions, but it doesn’t solve the issues.” In dealing with these issues in the future, Glenn decided that he would not take on competing clients to avoid future issues of the same thread.
Changing Times
Timestamp 35:04
In the beginning of Glenn’s executive coaching career, there were few in the field. Today he has noticed a massive increase in these numbers as well as a decrease in the stigma surrounding the title. The advancements of current technology have also changed communication throughout his career. Online communication platforms have permitted Glenn to maintain contact with hundreds of fellow executive coaches and maintain large groups of clients on open platforms. In discussing these platforms Glenn states that they go into deeper issues, stay in touch, and learn from each other’s achievements and mistakes.
Being a Change Maker
Timestamp 39:42
While Glenn believes he is no different form anybody else, he holds memory of moments where coworkers and clients point out his fearlessness for confrontation. Glenn maintains that he is unafraid to approach situations head-on in his current as well as previous work. This feedback of realization and astonishment from clients and colleagues are what gives Glenn his energy. He enjoys his clients’ realizations and epiphanies and takes a sense of accomplishment from them. Regardless, Glenn feels as though his life will be remembered by both his clients, colleagues, and family closest to him.
Closing Advice
Timestamp 42:38
In closing, Glenn states that it is important for people to realize their own potential. He has a mirror he hands out to clients that says, “Object in mirror may be wiser than it appears.” Glenn lives this philosophy out by pursuing his desired goals and interest and encouraging others to do the same. While having big goals and dreams fully realized is important to Glenn, he maintains that it is important to “remain down to earth.”
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